Across the Veil
by blacktears
Summary: AU. Wufei is banished fro mteh Fae world and into the human one.... shounen ai-2+5; some 3+4 later. please read and review.


Disclaimer applies  
Note: shounen ai, AU. please review.  
  
  
ACROSS THE VEIL  
Part 1: the Stranger In the Lake  
  
  
  
Change Wufei, proud warrior, stood still by the lake, the silver moonlight shining brightly over his bare skin as a breeze as gentle as a child's breath swept strands of his dark hair out of his face and over his shoulders. Behind him, hidden in the shadows of the forest, a small corwd stood with grim faces. The crowd included both his father and his king-but Wufei did not turn to look at them.   
  
The night past, and the darkness drew back. The crowd disapated until it was only one small man, tears running down his pale face as he watched his only son. Wufei could feel morning coming, and gingerly began wading out into the dark lake, creating gentle ripples in the otherwise still water.  
  
The first rays of true sunlight glinted off the far side of the lake, just as he reached the center. He reached a hand forward, finding a tangible field of energy break at the invasion of his slender fingers. With both hands, he pulled the field apart and stepped through it...leaving his old life behind.  
  
~*~  
  
Duo liked to watch the moon rise. Something about how the silver orb glinted off the quiet lake near his home was magical, and made Duo feel connected to everything around him. The moon was full that night...Duo had checked, and had even cancelled meeting his friends in town just so he could sit on the course grass by the water and watch it rise. He had his feet in the cool water as he sat, leaning back on his hands, violet eyes glued to the sky by the dark mountains. The sun was setting behind him, but he had no interest in a sunset. Brilliant as sunsets were, the rising of the moon was much more calming-and Duo was a calm person, beneath his bouncy mask.  
  
The first ripples lapped against Duo's thin ankles as the young man saw the first sign of the moon above the mountains. A small smile played with Duo's lips as he watched, absently rubbing a single blade of grass between two fingers. The sound of a surprised gasp and frantic splashing pulled Duo's attention from the rising moon to the center of the lake. Even in the dark, even with the distance, Duo could vaguely make out the thrashing form in the center of the lake.  
  
Violet eyes flew open wider, as Duo launched himself to his feet, peering into the lake lest his eyes decieved him. Moonlight glinted off the water and the dark hair of...someone.   
  
Glad that he'd already removed his cumbersome shoes, Duo dove into the cool water, swimming towards the drowning person with poserful strokes. The lake was large, and Duo had not even made it half way to the center when the splashes quietly stilled, and the form he'd seen from shore disapeared beneath the suface.  
  
Wasting no breath for curses, the long haired man swam faster, eyes scanning desperatly for any sign of the person. As he reached the center, he dove under the water, eyes open, looking...until his lungs burned for oxygen and his heartbeat pounded loudly in his ears. Reluctantly, Duo surfaced, only to take another dep breath and push himself under the water again. His eyes scanned quieckly...so quickly that he almost missed the still shodow slowly sinking towards the murky bottom of the lake.  
  
He dived further, pushing his body to it's limits and beyond. His veins screamed for air, yet he was so close...so close... He reached a hand out and felt the soft, dark hair that floated gently around the person's head. He clutched at it desperatly...and then his arms found the man's-for it was a man-bare chest. He nearly sighed with relief, but instead settled for holding the body tightly while he propelled himself frantically to the surface.   
  
His head broke the water and he gasped for breath. Oxygen filled his lungs nad soothed his body. He'd pulled the other man up as well, and bent low over the face. Water glistened distractingly off the dark skin as he listened carefully for breath, his legs working beneath the water so that they'd not sink below the surface once again. No breath escaped the man's cold lips...but that was no surprise. Nearly numb fingers fumbled at the other man's throat, searching for a pulse...Duo found it, but it was faint.   
  
Now Duo did curse, as he began to propel himself and his rescue victim to the nearest shore. Unfortuantly, the man that Duo held close to his body had chosen the very center of the lake to drown, and so Duo simply headed back the way he'd come-or at least, he thought it was the way he'd come-he couldn't quite be sure in the dark.  
  
Progress seemed painfully slow for the violet eyed man...he was overly aware of the dying human he pulled along with him, and swam as fast as he knew how.  
  
Course sand brushed against Duo's feet, and immediatly the young man stopped swimming to stand up, even though the water still came to his chest. Holding the dark haired man's head above the water with one hand, Duo used the other to check once again for a pulse. It was so faint that Duo had nearly given up before he felt it.  
  
Duo tilted the boy's head back, so the the water almost covered his closed eyes, and plugged the boy's nose with two fingers. Duo took a deep breath, and forced his lips to cover the dark skinned ones. He released his breath into the cool body, wishing with all his mind that the breath would be accepted and the young man would return to life. He waited...with no luck. A second breath...he wanted to pound the others chest, do the heimlich, but in the water it would do no good, and the shore was still too far for comfort. Another breath, no response.  
  
Exaspurated and desperate, Duo pulled the boy up so that his back was to Duo and wrapped his arms around the other's middle. Duo spueezed the boys stomach, hoping to force the water of of the other's lungs.   
  
No response. No response. Duo hadn't been fast enough...  
  
Numbly, the long haired man loosned his hold on the body. There was little he could do...take the body ashore and call the police, that was about it...His heart ached...he'd never killed before. He'd never seen a dead person before.  
  
Turning his pale face to the sky, Duo saw the full moon above him through blurry eyes.   
  
The body in his arms convulsed and coughed roughly.  
  
Violet eyes widened and flew back to the other man, drapped over Duo's arm. Water was trickling slowly out of the man's parted lips and nose...The moon once again forgotten, Duo pounded on the limp man's back, bringing forth a new round of coughs, until a dark hand weakly picked at Duo's soaked sleeve and the man tried feebly to stand on his own.  
  
With a smile, Duo through one of the other man's slim arms over his shoulders and helped him get his feet beneath him.  
  
"Hey, you all right?" Duo asked, his voice betraying his relief and the concern he'd felt. The dark head bobbed twice-the other man was still gasping greatfully for air. Slwoly, with great care, Duo began walking towards shore once again, bringing the other man with him. "I thought you'd died, you know," Duo chatted, relief loosening his tongue and making him more nervous. "What happened?"  
  
"I can't swim." The other boy rasped, taking more of his weight on his own feet, though he stilled leaned on Duo for support. His voice was soft and though scratchy from choking, melodous.  
  
Duo fixed wide eyes on the stranger. "Yeah, but you were in the CENTER of the lake!" he gasped, silently reminding himself to continue walking. Cool are made him shiver as his body grew more and more exposed to it-though the stranger was having no such issue...and he was naked! "How'd you get there, if you can't swim?"  
  
Dark eyes raised and fixed on Duo's for the first time. Duo felt a chill run up his spine that had nothing to do with the cold as he met the stranger's electrifying gaze. "my boat capsized."   
  
Naked? In a boat? It didn't seem likely-plus he'd seen no signs of a boat...but there truly was no other reason that Duo could think of, so he let it slide. The dark eyes dropped again, and they continued on in silence.  
  
The shore was near now, and Duo could see the faint lights of his small cabin through the trees-he'd swum to the correct side then. His sopping clothes clung to his thin and cold body as the two climbed onto the shore. Duo sighed and had to force himself not to drop to his knees from exhaustion and relief. He was shivering violently now, his teath chattering in his mouth...the naked stranger had put his arms around Duo, as though to warm him and hold him up-wet clothing, Duo discovered-were not only cold but quite heavy.  
  
Raising a hand, Duo pointed in the direction of the cabin. "Thats where I live," he told the other boy, and together they started towards it, supporting each other. "Let me change and then I'll drive you to the hospital."  
  
"no," the soft voice commanded. "I don't need the hospital."  
  
Duo paused, and looked down at the smaller boy dubiously. "all right," he said, finding only strength in the dark eyes. "Where do you need to go then?" He asked, walking once again.  
  
"No where. I don't live anywhere...I can go now, if you wish." for the first time, Duo heard uncertaintly in the beautiful voice.  
  
"Your homeless?" he asked, surprised. Beneath his arm, the naked stranger nodded. "...would you like to stay with me?"  
  
Dark eyes flicked up, startled, fixing on Duo's face. "You'd do that for a stranger?"  
  
Duo shrugged. "Why not? I don't believe you'll murder me in my sleep..." he glanced down. "Would you like to?"  
  
There was a tangible pause. "Thank you." the boy said at last, and Duo took it for a "yes." "My name is Wufei."  
  
A smirk spread on Duo's lips. "nice ta meetcha," he drawled as they at last reached the cabin. "I'm Duo."  
  
TBC 


End file.
